Our P6, P6/7 and P7 classes went to Holyrood Park on Wednesday morning to participate in a series of activities to mark World Orienteering Day. We are so lucky to have the park on our doorstep and it served as a magnificent backdrop for our visit.
Orienteering is a fast-growing sport which is suitable for people of all ages and abilities. It is a unique test of physical and mental skills, combining map-reading, planning and logical thinking alongside speed, stamina and resilience. We participated in this event in 2018 at the Meadows, and we were delighted to be able to return for this year’s activities.
Pupils receiving instructions from Lucia, one of the volunteers.
Pupils rotated round three different stations, participating in a range of activities led by members of local orienteering clubs.
Navigating our way around the various electronic checkpoints within the maze
The first station contained a maze, where pupils had to use a map to navigate different routes through the maze as quickly as possible. An electronic tagging system was used to ensure that pupils took the correct route and were timed accurately. This ensured proceedings got very competitive as the leaderboard changed over the course of the day!
The second station was the most physically demanding, comprising a series of games which tested pupils’ ability to navigate and move in different directions as quickly as possible.
Racing back to the start point having completed a mini course.
The final station saw pupils working in pairs to participate in a series of short map-based orienteering courses (with four stations per course).
Our pupils (and staff!) had a fantastic time in the glorious sunshine and we are very grateful to all the volunteers who worked so hard to put on such an interesting and exciting event.
We aim to take orienteering forward in 2019-20 at Preston Street and introduce more regular opportunities for our young people to participate in this exciting activity, so watch this space for more information!
Calton Hill and Holyrood Palace provide a grand backdrop for the orienteering games.
We are also inviting our P6 and P7 pupils to participate in the Scottish Schools’ Orienteering Championships on Friday 7th June at Hopetoun House. This is suitable for pupils of all ability levels and information will be provided separately to all P6 and P7 parents.
Thanks to Judy Bell from Scottish Orienteering and all her volunteers from the various local clubs for their support. New members are always welcome, so please click on each club below to find out more!
Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club
Edinburgh University Orienteering Club
You can also visit Scottish Orienteering to find out more about the sport in general, or alternatively for local enquiries please email Judy Bell at judy@scottish-orienteering.org